Bettina Wilhelm

contributor to 1 poster

  • A dog looks at its reflection in a streetside puddle as two cats watch through a nearby shop window

    Artist

    In the Circle of

    I liked the mood of this poem: a little bit wistful, mysterious and playful. But mostly I liked it because I like the idea of personifying animals. When you have an animal doing something almost human-like, you can put your own twist on it.

    So I wanted to expand on the dog's personality. The haiku says a little about the dog's personality, but how much can you really say in a haiku?

    I pictured him looking at his reflection. Later I thought of adding the cats. In the background, there's a coffee shop, and the idea of cats in the window, looking out at the lonely dog, and the dog looking at his reflection, wondering if he could see other animals—I thought it would be fun. He's not aware that the cats are there.